The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for combining content from a broadcast communication with content from a point-to-point communication in a unified presentation.
Communication between a server and a client on a network take one of two forms of communications: broadcast or point-to-point. In a broadcast communication, the server sends information that is transmitted to every client on the network, although some clients might ignore the information. The same information is sent to every client with no customization possible. The advantage to using a broadcast communication is to save bandwidth. Bandwidth is saved because the information is sent over each link of the network only once regardless of the number of recipients of the information.
In a point-to-point communication, the server transmits information separately to each client. An advantage to using a point-to-point communication is that different information (e.g., customization) may be sent to each client. Even if the same information is being sent to several recipients (e.g., radio broadcast over the Internet), however, in a point-to-point communication with multiple recipients, the information is transmitted redundantly to each recipient. Therefore, if a large number of recipients are receiving the same information, the bandwidth utilization is greater to transmit the information via a point-to-point communication as opposed to transmitting the information via a broadcast communication.
In light of the foregoing, there exists a need for an improved method and apparatus that overcomes the disadvantages of both broadcast and point-to-point communications in a unified presentation, thus utilizing minimum bandwidth and providing customization, if desired, to each recipient.